Unfortunately, until now the durability of these treatments has been very limited. However, by using optimized process parameters it has now become possible to guarantee the longevity of these coatings.

One example where this is very important is silicon wafers that are built into instruments which will soon make it possible for patients with vascular occlusion syndromes to be able to conveniently measure their coagulation status at home.

While similar products on the market use optical analytics and different chemical reactions for these tests, these devices are comprised of Micro Electro Mechanical Sensors (MEMS) built into small test strips. The cantilevers on these test strips make it possible to measure the viscosity using the Prothrombin Time Test, using only a small drop of blood. Of vital importance for reliable test values is that the MEMS-device is sufficiently wetted with this drop of blood, but that at the same time it does not completely cover the structured pattern of the MEMS-device. The required hydrophilicity on the surface can only be attained using plasma polyermization processes in low pressure plasma systems, with which coatings between 10 – 30 nm can be applied. Such thin coatings (in the nm range) cannot be achieved using conventional chemical procedures. During the plasma polymerization process, however, such thin hydrophilic polymer coatings are deposited in a Diener low pressure plasma system onto the MEMS surface. Long term tests and analysis have shown that a long lasting contact angle of less than 10° can be achieved with this procedure.
This type of permanent hydrophilic coating, applied using organic precursors and plasma polymerisation in Diener low pressure plasma systems, is also being used to treat medical and hygienic products such as silicone hydrogel contact lenses and non-woven fabrics. The advantage for contact lenses, which are usually made out of hydrophobic materials, is that they can be more easily wetted and have a much longer lifetime after the hydrophilic treatment.

To efficiently coat non-woven fabrics with this type of treatment Diener electronic offers roll to roll plasma systems.

Contact the friendly Scitek team for more detailed information.

Our new office is in St. Lucia ensuring good access and short response times for all customers in the region.

Since commissioning more than ten years ago the pumps did not fail once. Their proven dependability, long-term structural stability, and robustness made its successor, the ATH 500 M, a natural first choice for the future application in ESO’s observatories on the Cerro Paranal site — the new home of E-ELT, the Cerro Armazones.

Download the full report (564 KB) which describes the test of an ATH 500 M for use with the VLT (Very Large Telescope) and the E-ELT (European Extremely Large Telescope) which are planned to go into operation in 2018.

ESO Application Report ATH500M

Sony awards suppliers with Green Partner Certification when they actively cooperate in producing environmentally sustainable products. The “Sony Green Partner Standards” were established in 2001 as a way to encourage its suppliers to become more environmentally responsible. Sony’s Green Partner Program restricts the use of hazardous substances in materials as described in the Sony technical standard SS-00259. Suppliers can achieve Sony Green Partner status by meeting these requirements and by demonstrating compliance via an on-site audit.

Through receiving this award Umicore has achieved highly desirable preferred supplier status.

Download the flyer here: Adixen Introduction Special 12_2011

Download the flyer here (147KB): Adixen Introduction Special 12_2011

MBraun designs and manufactures the most advanced, highest quality inert atmosphere gloveboxes and glovebox systems in the world. Their product range is completed by gas purifiers, solvent purification systems and many other complimentary accessories.

MBraun systems are used in thousands of universities and industrial manufacturing companies throughout the world. Happy local users include ANSTO and many ANFF sites.

As the established market leader of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) solutions, Cambridge NanoTech has over 400 ALD systems installed in research and manufacturing settings worldwide. Cambridge NanoTech ALD systems are the platform of choice for flexible research and high performance production. With unparalleled support, Cambridge NanoTech experts collaborate with customers to apply thin film techniques to unique coating challenges, acting as a catalyst for new applications worldwide.

“eVacuum” is Pfeiffer Vacuum’s first app. With this new development the supplier of vacuum solutions provides mobile users in the industry a large number of valuable functions. The app can be downloaded for free in the Apple Store or the Android Market.

eVacuum allows users to quickly access news and updates from Pfeiffer Vacuum everywhere in a compact format. The “Catalog” heading contains the extensive Pfeiffer Vacuum product portfolio, including the technical data. The “Product Selector” helps the user to quickly select the required pump by searching the entire range of products for the desired criteria using a filter function. The “Vacuum Compendium” heading contains the popular handbook for the vacuum industry in electronic format. A conversion of all common pressure units in exponential notation can be done by the “Converter” function. An additional heading includes the worldwide contact deails for sales and service.